Gamer ADD: Suleiman Subsector Gazetteer Part 2

1110 Quaver C111469-B

Prior to the Civil War, Quaver was a major trade hub overseen by an opportunistic dictatorship. Seen as a possible disruptive force in subsector politics, it was Imperial policy to undermine Quaver’s government. This policy succeeded just as the Civil War was breaking out. This success couldn’t have come at a more unopportune time. Trade collapsed and the new government, still trying to figure out how to govern, proved incapable of dealing with the failing economy. Millions either starved or fled. Today, a population of around 50,000 souls is governed by an Administrator appointed by the Solomani Rim. The economy has yet to recover.

1201 Akimasi C8A5455-6

1202 Sase C347441-9

Akimasi and Sase are two contrasting examples of the impact of the Civil War on planets with domed cities and less than ideal atmospheres. Akimasi was a colony world ruled by a feudal technocracy wholly dependent upon the Imperial government to make sure it had enough oxygen to keep its single city supplied with breathable air. Sase was a thriving civil service bureaucracy that managed to keep a population in the tens of millions safe from a diseased atmosphere through an elaborate system of air filtration and inoculations.

When the Civil War brought chaos to trade within the Subsector, Akimasi resorted to trading oxygen for safe haven to all parties: from Imperials to Solomani to pirates and criminals. They had the space to tolerate these interlocators and it allowed them to get through the entire war virtually unscathed, save for a minority of those with unsavory pasts that decided to stay on and integrate.

In contrast, Sase’s larger population put a huge strain on the government’s ability to keep up with demand on filters and medication. The situation quickly devolved into the rich having access through bribery and the poor being left behind. When people started dying, there was a massive revolt. The ensuing violence and spread of disease killed millions. In an attempt to avoid such government abuse and violence in the future, the current government is a representative demoncracy.

Both experiences left each planet very eager to cooperate with Tukera Lines to establish the Imperial Starlane. Today, they each seek to grow economically and in population with the stability the trade route has brought.

1205 Biggles C236666-9

Prior to the Civil War, Biggles was a protectrorate of Ascalon. Due to this relationship, Biggles was able to survive most of the privations incurred in the chaos that followed. The largest changes have been a loss of population (mostly due to emigration) and the loss of constant contact with Ascalon due to a shortage in Jump-2 ships. Although not officially part of the Ascalon Alliance, the government still sees itself as a protectorate. As a consequence, it is a hotbed of political intrigue and espionage as the Ascalon Alliance and Cluster Concorde vie for influence.

1207 Ascalon 1207 B5628A9-B

During the Imperial Era, the Royal Family of Ascalon also held the Imperial noble rank of Marquis, giving the king of Ascalon more political clout within the subsector than one might expect. Just prior to the Civil War, he used this influence to butt heads with the Duchess of Suleiman. This political rivalry continues to this day; however, the king also spent much of his political clout in anti-Solomani rhetoric. In the current climate, this rhetoric is almost non-existant. That doesn’t mean he isn’t trying to avoid dependence on or alliance with the Solomani Confederation. It also doesn’t mean he isn’t on board with having relations with either Tukera Lines or the Concorde, but he will only do so on his terms.

Note: I am using Rim of Fire, a GURPS Traveller sourcebook by Jon F. Zeigler published in 2000, as inspiration for this Gazetteer. The conflict bewteen the Marquis and Duchess is described largely in economic terms, with the Marquis coming off as a greedy upstart that seems to want to use any excuse to sabotage the Duchess; however, the text suggests something far more interesting that I plan to explore. The blurb on Ascalon has one of the very few mentions of Christianity I have found in Traveller sourcebooks. Suleiman is described as a people trying to reconnect with their Turkish (Islamic) roots. Thus, this conflict goes beyond economics and dips into both culture and religion. I will take the liberty to make Ascalon a Christian monarchy to make things more interesting.

1304 Vanefa A563963-E

Two factors played a huge role in determining the fate of Vanefa in the post-Civil War era: treachery and water. When trade got interrupted by the Civil War and Solomani encroachment began to look inevitable, the royal family of Vanefa gambled and sided with the Confederation. This did not play out well. It isolated Vanefa, despite being part of the Azeremiid Cluster. They could no longer import enough water for the billions who lived on the planet. War broke out and the royal family was imprisoned and executed. Stability wasn’t achieved until the Cluster Concorde intervened and imposed a government answerable to the Duchess of Suleiman in exchange for a steady supply of water. This promise ended up being rather tenuous until Tukera Lines made Vanefa a regular stop within the Imperial Starlane. Thus, the local population is more loyal to Tukera than it is to the Concorde.

1306 Rimmon X220000-0

In the Imperium, Rimmon was an uninhabited restricted zone that no one paid much attention to. Today, despite remaining uninhabited, the world is a focal point in the conflict between the Alliance and the Concorde. In order to facilitate trade and influence, the Concorde is seeking to start a colony on Rimmon. This would allow Jump-1 ships access to both Biggles and Coriolanus. Ascalon is actively sabotaging these efforts, because of its ties to Biggles and the inlfuence it has on Coriolanus through its agents stationed on Biggles.

1402 Gulimaru C7A66B7-A

The interruption of trade during the Civil War resulted in 90% of the population dying due to lack of oxygen. Those that survived did so through force. Despite the welcome influx of trade through the Imperial Starlane, the dictatorial rule through strength remains in power.

1404 Esterhazy C335420-B

This old Solomani colony world managed to survive the Civil War virtually unscathed due to long established trade routes within the Azeremiid Cluster. Locals proudly maintain a form of constitutionalism based upon the priniciples of an ancient terran document known as the Golden Bull.

Gamer ADD: Suleiman Subsector Gazetteer Part 1

Before I start making notes about each of the worlds in the Suleiman Subsector, I have a confession to make. As much as I (and pretty much every Traveller fan I know) bashes the New Era, as I was going through and reading up on various bits of information on the Third Imperium and the Rebellion, I was reminded how much I actually liked the actual rulebook of the New Era. While it might not be the best print quality (I handle mine with care for fear that the binding will finally decide to give up), its contents are really well laid out, helpful, organized, and just plain useful. I noted that I have marked in a bunch of errata, which goes to show I used it a lot back in the day (for what, I don't remember). Interestingly, I found myself using it again as a primary resource. It has a section on world generation and decline that is wonderfully concise and clear, occupying only a few pages. It, along with the GURPS The Rim of Fire suppliment, are the only two resources currently open on my table, for what its worth.

0902 Porlock D433655-9

The Civil War has proven to be disasterous for Porlock. Regular shipments of O2 were necessary to sustain a popultion of 800 million. The death toll was catastrophic, tens of millions suffocated to death; however, the local Feudal Technocracy managed to cobble together enough resources to maintain the current populaton of 8 million souls. The survivors now have a very strong sense of independence and defiance. They live not because of some great stellar empire, but because of their own ingenuity and will.

0903 Bethe C422679-A

Locals are more concerned about the various rival local governments than what is happening in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. Survival and control over the oxygen farms that have sustained the local population since the beginnings of the Civil War carry far more import.

0907 Llewellyn C20047A-C

During the Civil War, this world was evacuated and remained unpopulated until recently, when colonists from the Ascalon Alliance began to repopulate the world and its mining facilities.

0909 Ganelon X430000-0 

0910 Poseidon X8AA000-0

Little more than research stations, both of these worlds were abandonded during the Civil War and their facilities stripped down for anything of value. While officially claimed by the Solomani Confederation, the Party is stil too focused on controlling conquered populations elsewhere to allocate any resources to recolonize either of these worlds.

1002 Khadish B556889-E

The local culture is the only Vilani remnant from the First Imperium left in the subsector. It is a strange combination of pacifism and xenophobia. While they tolerate outsiders, they often cheat, swindle, and mislead them. Thus, while a lack of interstellar trade has seen a general decline, the Civil War has left them largely unchanged.

1007 Shaabipili B5538A9-E

This once balkanized world has been untied under the charismatic dictatorship of Yumraan Boraan, who united a wartorn world with the promise of peace and alliance with Ascalon. Seizing control of the Naval Depot with help from Ascolon forces, Boraan was able to cow the various factions into accepting terms. Despite a far more restrictive legal structure, the population is quite content with the relative prosperity achieved through the mutual help and protection from the Ascalon Alliance.

1105 Coriolanus B237624-B

Despite having a harsh environment requiring outside resources to survive, Coriolanus managed to avoid catastrophy. Having a Scout Base and being part of the old Xboat Network ensured regular traffic despite the war. Nonetheless, millions took advantage of the traffic to emigrate. Prior to the Civil War, Coriolanus was a balkanized world; however, the mass exodus proved to be a catalyst for unity among those who remained. Currently governed by a direct democracy, the primary issue being debated concerns their potential alliance with the Ascalon Alliance, the Cluster Concorde, and the Imperial Starlane.

1107 Tammuz B754865-E

While the Civil War did result in a general decline, Tammuz managed to stave off the worst by throwing in its lot with Ascalon. Once ruled by a charismatic dictator, his death was one of the losses seen during the war. Currently, the government is overseen by the royal family of Ascalon.

Gamer ADD: A Subsector Map

As my mind continues to insist on thinking about a Traveller Campaign based on the Peace Finally Comes map, I decided to develop the Suleiman Subsector of the Solomoni Rim. It falls within the Imperial Starlane, sits at the edge of the Solomani Confederation, has an Aslan population, and has the Azeremiid Cluster — a group of worlds that has a history of cooperation that dates back to the Long Night. Seems like a place ripe for adventure: